The Minister visited a farm outside Deloraine today to talk to several hemp growers, including the president of the Industrial Hemp Association Phil Reader.

The Association said this week the hemp industry could double if farmers were allowed to grow hemp for human consumption, a move supported by the Minister although the decision is out of his hands.

Mr Rockliff says the government has not softened its approach to trials of growing medicinal cannabis crops and says the Upper House inquiry into that issue will help any future decisions on medicinal cannabis.

The Minister says in the meantime it's important to support an industrial hemp industry which has been in Tasmania since 1991 and any expansion has been hampered by red tape.

"Today I'm charging Agrigrowth Tasmania with the responsibility of working alongside industry and finding ways to cut regulation, to cut red tape so we can support our farmers.

"My focus is industrial hemp and that's where it needs to be, because there are many farmers that want to explore new opportunities and government needs to get out of the way to allow that expansion to occur."